New Delhi, Aug 19 (IANS) Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday said that if Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, had wanted, the Opposition MPs would not have resorted to creating a ruckus in Parliament during the recently concluded Monsoon Session.
In an exclusive interview with IANS, Rijiju also mentioned that Home Minister Amit Shah used to remain present on the Parliament premises during the Monsoon Session; however, due to the Opposition’s sloganeering and ruckus, he did not attend the proceedings.
The Parliamentary Affairs Minister also spoke about the Congress remarks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Italian counterpart, Giorgia Meloni, Rahul Gandhi’s claims on Chinese intrusion, ‘dimagi Naxals’, and alleged disrespect of the national song ‘Vande Mataram’ during the Independence Day celebrations at the Congress headquarters in Delhi.
Following are the excerpts from the interview:
IANS: The Opposition MPs resorted to creating chaos during the Monsoon Session of the Parliament, even after several assurances by the government about a discussion on the issue they were demanding. How do you view this? Have you talked to LoP Rahul Gandhi about this?
Kiren Rijiju: I have met Rahul Gandhi and also spoken to him on the phone. I respect him a lot because he is the Leader of the Opposition and a senior leader. However, our efforts towards smooth functioning of the Parliament were not successful. Everyone knows that if Rahul Gandhi wanted, the Congress MPs would not resort to abuses, sloganeering, and ruckus during the House proceedings. Rahul Gandhi is the only leader in the Congress who can correct the behaviour of his MPs.
IANS: Certain remarks were made about the Italian Prime Minister during a Congress event. What would you say to that?
Kiren Rijiju: While talking about a country’s Prime Minister, one should remain respectful. If one disrespects a top post like this, it brings disrepute to oneself and the country.
IANS: PM Modi warned against ‘dimagi Naxals’. What is your take on this?
Kiren Rijiju: Everyone knows that those who take up arms against the country and the Constitution have been almost eliminated. But those with the same ideology remain in cities, institutions, and other places. When any jawan from the Army, CRPF, ITBP, BSF, SSB, NSG, or CISF falls victim to Naxals, these Maoist-minded people celebrate. This is known to everyone. There should be no confusion about this.
IANS: A privilege notice has been issued against Rahul Gandhi regarding unparliamentary remarks made against HM Shah. Could his Lok Sabha membership be in jeopardy?
Kiren Rijiju: Everyone ought to respect established rules and procedures. If someone acts against the rules or violates them, a privilege notice is issued to them. All of this takes place in accordance with the rules.
IANS: You also meet with other parties in the INDIA bloc. What do their leaders think about Rahul Gandhi? Is Rahul Gandhi derailing the Opposition’s agenda?
Kiren Rijiju: The Opposition is currently somewhat fragmented and lacks confidence. When they fail to win elections, they vent their frustration in Parliament.
IANS: Why do you think Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi objects to the full rendition of ‘Vande Mataram’? What is your take on this?
Kiren Rijiju: There is now a law regarding ‘Vande Mataram’. It is not the anthem of any specific party or religion; it is the National Song. Everyone should sing ‘Vande Mataram’, and every Indian should respect it. The national song’s importance should not be a topic of debate and discussion. Every Indian should respectfully recite ‘Vande Mataram’ to honour the nation.
IANS: During the Monsoon Session, the Opposition claimed that Home Minister Amit Shah was absent during the proceedings. What do you have to say about this?
Kiren Rijiju: The Home Minister used to come to Parliament (during the Monsoon Session) and remain there from morning till evening. He cannot really go amid the ruckus, can he? They (the Opposition) are just resorting to spreading rumours.
IANS: Rahul Gandhi has claimed that China has intruded on Indian territory. What do you have to say about this?
Kiren Rijiju: It is incorrect to say this. Such statements should not be made. There are issues in several places in Arunachal Pradesh; the root cause of these issues needs to be understood. India and China share a very long border in Arunachal Pradesh that has not been formally delineated. There are no border pillars, and the boundary is not clearly marked on the ground; there is no distinct border line. This is not a recent issue. Even when Tibet was a separate entity, the border between Tibet and India had not been delineated.
It is wrong for people to spread confusion by sharing various videos. There is indeed an issue regarding the border. Some villagers in Arunachal Pradesh have expressed concerns about the border, and rightly so, because the boundary has not been delineated there.
Villages do not exist in these extremely rugged, high-altitude areas; traditionally, these regions were used only for hunting and grazing. Due to the absence of delineation, there have been long tensions between India and China.
The core issue is that China began road construction earlier. At that time, the Congress was in power in India. A.K. Antony, the then Defence Minister under the Congress government, stated in Parliament that it was the government’s policy not to build infrastructure on the Indian side. Meanwhile, China continued to develop infrastructure steadily. Infrastructure development on our side began after 2014. PM Modi changed the policy, and roads are now being constructed on our side as well.
I personally visited Maza, a village located at the last border point. I met with border force personnel and soldiers there. The road construction work was completed. No road had been built to the border in all the years since 1947; under PM Modi’s leadership, we got the road constructed.
We previously lacked a road connection. PM Modi had the road to Taksing built in 2019. Because we lacked a road while China had built one, the Chinese army occupied certain high-altitude areas and constructed border infrastructure; we are now responding by building our own infrastructure.
It is not the case that they have occupied any of our villages. They have set up camp on a certain stretch of land because the boundary there is not demarcated. Our people believe our territory extends further, whereas the locals there claim the land belongs to them.
Our Army and ITBP’s patrolling has been strengthened. Regarding the village that has been established, located in a valley beyond Longju, the Chinese PLA has constructed some structures and buildings resembling a village. That land was occupied in 1959, and they further consolidated their hold over it in 1962.
We have a post at the current border point. While there is no cross-border movement between India and China at that specific location, Chinese military activity has certainly increased along the ridgeline. This has heightened the concerns of our villagers, and we must take their apprehensions seriously.
However, spreading such narratives by circulating a fake video, purportedly from Bangladesh, is wrong. Doing so undermines the morale of the armed forces.
IANS: Rahul Gandhi had even brought along photographs to show how far China had intruded. What do you have to say about this?
Kiren Rijiju: The Army defends the nation. Calling an Army General a ‘street-level thug’ (sadak ka gunda) — something that one Congress leader had stated — what a despicable thing to say. The Congress needs to reflect on this.
IANS: What is your opinion on the Delimitation Bill? Could a special session be convened for it?
Kiren Rijiju: The government wants to engage with the Congress. If there is a shift in the Congress’s stance and something positive emerges, the matter will be considered further.
IANS: Do you think BJP MP Nishikant Dubey’s statements regarding the Congress party and former Prime Minister late Indira Gandhi fall under the category of freedom of expression?
Kiren Rijiju: I cannot offer an explanation regarding a personal remark.
IANS: What do you think about Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) founder Abhijit Dipke?
Kiren Rijiju: Everyone knows that Abhijit Dipke is an Aam Aadmi Party worker. Having lost politically, the AAP is now resorting to such tactics. PM Modi certainly listens to the concerns of students, but the issue should not be politicised.
IANS: On several occasions, the Opposition has claimed that the situation in India can soon turn like that in Nepal and Bangladesh. How do you see these statements?
Kiren Rijiju: Whether it is a Congress leader or any other leader, no one who acts against the Constitution or tries to create anarchy in the country should be supported.
–IANS
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